SF selection rates (not a wah)

LE

Just wondering, you always see in books/media ect that SF selection rates are around the 10% rate or even less.
Is that still the case, what with the wars going on over the last almost decade, you'd think selection would be full of experienced hardened veterens (recent RM/ect action where they fought the Taliban over a 60KM area in WWI like condiditions, we've probably all seen the pics) are just one example, is there much on SF selection that would bother you after that?

or am I completly misreading the situation?

BTW I heard there was a problem of "creeping excellence" for years on selection, ie the standards would be set harder and harder each cycle, untill even the badged guys wouldn't be able to do them?......but apparently it was weeded out.

Now this is not a wah, I fully expect to get the poo thrown at me, but I am serious.....it's just a question/s

"We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
Illegitimi non carborundum

Fair point, just that 10% line has been troted out for years and years even when the UK was not involved in high intensity war's, whats the old saying, "the hottest fires forge the strongest steel"?...the orignals back in WWII didn't have much of a selection to go through, except the war itself and they seemed to be exceptional men.

"We will hold out until our last bullet is spent. Could do with some whiskey"
Radio transmission, siege of Jadotville DR Congo. September 1961.
Illegitimi non carborundum

I found this as a young Infanteer on Exercise with some Corps types. I always wondered how they managed to get issued loads of gucci kit (Huge Knives, Gore Tex Boots, black bands for their helmet with scrim, torches to nasty to their weapons, GPS' etc) and we never got any of it. It didn't take long for the penny to drop and I always wondered why they didn't join the infantry if they got such a hard on for FIBUA.

I was just told if I did I could go Wind Surfing.

jimmys_best_mate;3832844 said:

If BAe got the contract then we'd order a couple of Leopard Seals to deal with the penguins but we'd end up with a couple of Salmon 'fitted for but not with' teeth by 2038 at only £24bn.

Fair point, just that 10% line has been troted out for years and years even when the UK was not involved in high intensity war's, whats the old saying, "the hottest fires forge the strongest steel"?...the orignals back in WWII didn't have much of a selection to go through, except the war itself and they seemed to be exceptional men.

Ref "the hottest fires forge the strongest steel". Does the fire have to be combat? According to Stephen Ambroses book the Ox and Bucks LI who took "Pegasus Bridge" weren't subject to a pass/fail selection course. They were the product of a prolonged period of training under a particularly good officer. Presumably people self selected either by choice or by biff chit. I only recall selection being mentioned once when the actual glider party was chosen and even then it was presumably because of the limited space in the gliders.

LE

British soldiers have always proved themselves as outstanding warriors througout history. It is a trait of our island race that we are good in a scrap.

A soldier can have 3 VCs and a smattering of other gallantry awards and still fail SF. The job of SF is not regular combat, but an extremely specialised role (hence the "special" in their title). Look at the regimental history of nearly every single cap badge within the British Army and their antecedents to see humbling examples of valour and winning against massive odds (or doing a last stand and loosing but taking out shedloads of frogs, bosche, ragheads, etc with them).

War Hero

British soldiers have always proved themselves as outstanding warriors througout history. It is a trait of our island race that we are good in a scrap.

A soldier can have 3 VCs and a smattering of other gallantry awards and still fail SF. The job of SF is not regular combat, but an extremely specialised role (hence the "special" in their title). Look at the regimental history of nearly every single cap badge within the British Army and their antecedents to see humbling examples of valour and winning against massive odds (or doing a last stand and loosing but taking out shedloads of frogs, bosche, ragheads, etc with them).

I found this as a young Infanteer on Exercise with some Corps types. I always wondered how they managed to get issued loads of gucci kit (Huge Knives, Gore Tex Boots, black bands for their helmet with scrim, torches to nasty to their weapons, GPS' etc) and we never got any of it. It didn't take long for the penny to drop and I always wondered why they didn't join the infantry if they got such a hard on for FIBUA.

3 days in an OP watching cows sh*t, but we had to share one set of goretex waterproofs between 10 of us. A week later at RAF Aldergrove and the 2 gate personnel have a set each, not even fcuking remotely rainy. Got to go windsurfing though!!